'Impossible to look past' - Phil Smith names 'unbelievable' Sunderland star as his Player of the Season so far

Granit Xhaka has been Sunderland’s player of the season so far, according to The Echo’s chief writer Phil Smith.

The Swiss midfielder has made an immediate and notable impact on Wearside, assuming the role of captain and registering three assists in the Premier League as the Black Cats have amassed 11 points from their opening seven matches this term.

And despite an influx of new signings and several standout performers in recent weeks, Phil is of the opinion that it is Xhaka who is currently producing the best work at the Stadium of Light.

What has The Echo’s Phil Smith said about Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka?

Speaking on the latest episode of The Roar podcast, when asked who his player of the season so far is, Phil said: “It has to be Xhaka for me. Obviously it's the fairly obvious one, but I think it's impossible to look past. You can talk about all the important stuff that he does off the pitch, the leadership that he's brought, the composure he's brought in possession - even on Saturday when Sunderland weren’t great, I thought Xhaka had a really good game.

“Then there's the fact that he's actually arguably been Sunderland’s most impactful player in the final third in terms of the assists and the chances that he's created. And that combination is unbelievable, really. I just think that's a sign that we're going to potentially - and I think there's a really good chance that could happen, that Sunderland stay up and this is kind of the platform for them to stabilise in the Premier League - look back at that as one of the most significant signings in the club's history, really, because I think it was just a bit of a game-changer.

“The way it built on that feelgood factor that was already there with the fanbase, it must have had an impact in some of the ambitious signings we made after that in terms of a little bit of a domino impact too. I just think, for me, he's been the best player and the best signing. Of course, [Robin] Roefs is an obvious one, [Omar] Alderete, [Noah] Sadiki - there's loads. But I think sometimes you can look past the obvious one. I think if there's one signing that you really wouldn't want Sunderland to have missed out on in that respect, I think it's the Xhaka one. I think it's been a game-changer.”

The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click this link to join our SAFC WhatsApp channel.

Fellow Echo reporter James Copley added: “There were questions over his legs, how much he had left in the tank. But to me, I don't really see any visible signs of decline - and if there are physical signs of decline, then his mind is doing an exceptional job of getting him in the right position and hiding that. For me, I think he's been brilliant.

“As Phil said, it was a little bit of a signal to the footballing world that we were taking this really seriously. The more I've thought about this as well, the more I just love Granit Xhaka's mentality around it. He's been at Arsenal for all of those years, captain of the club in the Premier League, he's been at Bayer Leverkusen, won a title there, had a fantastic couple of seasons, all of those international appearances for Switzerland. And his next move, as you say, isn't about a paycheck necessarily, although obviously we know the money has to be right to get him to Sunderland. It's about wanting to leave a bit of a legacy somewhere, understanding that he could be the figurehead that sort of drags this club to Premier League safety or up the Premier League.

“I feel it's really powerful that a player of his stature and what Sunderland could be, it's nice that that message is getting through. He's delivering the goods on the pitch and I think it's brilliant for the younger players as well. He's captained the club exceptionally well... He brings a calmness and a presence.”

Your next Sunderland read: Premier League mocked after embarrassing Sunderland omission from social media graphic